User Reviews

This is a very good episode of West in that the script is quite clever. The plot involves a lost shipment of gold late in the Civil War and the hunt to find it. It starts in New Orleans during Mardi Gras with pomp, circumstance & fireworks. It employs some major sleight of hand and even some bits of classic Shakespeare references along the way.

Col Tacitus Mosely(Jeff Corey), an evil commandant to a Confederate POW Susquehanna Prisoner of War Camp is the main person West & Gordon are after. Only the plot involves them being called in by the daughter of Major Hazard to have West help find Mosely for justice.

Veteran character actor Nehemiah Persoff plays Major Hazard, heading a band of eight who appear to be after Mosely, only they are not who they appear to be. The unveiling of the band by West at the trial sequence is a lot of fun & well done.

The action sequence in the court yard after the trial is where the wardrobe malfunction happens. While West is battling the bad guys, he very obviously rips out his pants & since this show had a budget, the malfunction was never re-shot but left in. In the next sequence the rip in the pants magically moves to a more modest one on the other pant leg.

Even with this obvious thing, the malfunction does not take away from a solid episode, & CBS never got any letters or complaints from anyone about the malfunction.

Spoiler/plot- TNOT Underground Terror, 68. Take aim on crime with two-fisted action man ladies' man- James T. West and his partner, the multi-talented master of disguise & weapons- Artemus Gordon. Join them as they ride from coast to coast in a customized for their work railroad car that contains high-tech weapons and inventive gadgets, called 'The Wanderer'. Our agents must rescue a sadistic prison commandant and recover his hidden gold before former inmates exact vengeance upon him.

*Special Stars- Robert Conrad, Ross Martin, Nehemiah Persoff, Jeff Corey.

*Theme- Be careful of who are your associates, they could come back to haunt you.

*Trivia/location/goofs- Air date 1-19-68. Takes place in Mardi Gras, New Orleans. The extremely large Mardi Gras parade float set pieces are impressive and are probable re-purposed from another W3 episode. The sailing ship float looks like the large artillery piece from the episode, TNOT Falcon. The Ante-Bellum estate used is the same one for Big Valley's- Barkley Ranch, also on the CBS lot. This episode features the James West's tight stirrup pants ripping exposing his white 20th century briefs and then his pants magically mending itself in the same fight sequence. The swiveling top round coffee table in the railroad car trick is used in this story. During the 50's Jeff Corey was caught-up in the Hollywood blacklist matters. He has become a well respected acting teacher in Hollywood.Mr. Conrad's short stature/height for a leading man (5'7") was compensated for with shoe 'lifts' in his boots, casting short stunt people, and short leading ladies. In fact his show was known for needing so many short stature love-interest roles for women among females actresses, it became a staple for actresses in Hollywood.

*Emotion- I was very impressed by the 'Brotherhood' scenario plot line. The guest star lead villain's performance is unforgettable with two extremely talented actors; Persoff and Corey. These actors have consistently presented viewers with solid, interesting and colorful fleshed-out roles. The inclusion of the Brotherhood members spiced-up the drama. This is vintage W3 at it's best, memorable and unique.